Archive for August, 2009

I am working my way through the 2+ tons of clay I had Jim Simmister get for me from Laguna earlier this year. It is a pleasure to see the clay slip through my hands on its way to relative permanence. I still am somewhat amazed that I or anyone for that matter can take amorphous clay and turn it into vessels with what feels like not much effort. I realize that the skills I rely on have been coming along for 38 years now. At this point I don’t think much about all those years at the wheel. I first picked up clay in 1971. I was enamored with my cousins, Scott, Mark and Anne Bennion’s pottery making next door to where I grew up. They had a wheel and a small gas kiln. I’d watch them and think “this has to be it”.
Here is a bit of what is coming off the wheel today. I had visitors from Bountiful and Salt Lake City. I am still a bit amazed at how my local customers are supporting me. No packing and shipping works for me.
Three lb serving bowls.
Batter bowls.
Assorted bowls.
Footed bowls.
Bread pans.
Oval baking dishes.

On my last Grand Canyon trip I injured my left ring finger. This finger is not super essential to throwing pottery but having it in a splint for eight weeks sure can be a drag. What follows is the beginning of the first body of work I have made since March of this year. ˆ’ll be throwing for two more weeks and firing in time for Spring City Arts studio tour on September 12.
Creamers, butter pots, small and large mugs.
The McKenzie salt shaker, dinnerware and a rice bowl.
Steve Olpin came by and we visited while I made soup bowl. Steve wandered into my life in the 1980’s and eventually made “The Potter’s Meal”.

While Juniper’s mother was out visiting with Lee she and I went hiking up Canal Canyon. Jun is Gabe’s sister. W had a great time. She brought cookies, pop and an apple which we shared. We took a trail she had never been on before so she was pretty keen to show it to her mom. On the trail we visited Craig’s grave. He was “Uncle Craig” to her.
Of course the doggie boys came along. They would not stand still.

Gabe is a little boy who’s father is unavailable. I am a man with no sons so we work things out. The Ward (LDSpeak for local congregation) had a fathers and sons campout over the last weekend. We went together and had a great time. We ate sourdough biscuits, mutton, dutch oven potatoes and dessert cooked in the same. It was a real Utah Mormon tradition. I was sure to clean his poor little face and hands before returning him to his mother. She wouldn’t have approved. He played himself to the point of exhaustion and slept pretty hard Friday night.
The mutton is fried to a crisp in its own grease. Smells awful but tastes pretty darn good. You had to be there. This little feller was grabbing tasty bits with his Leatherman tool and snarfing them. The sourdough biscuits are heavenly smeared with homemade strawberry freezer jam.
They start them young around here.
Dutch oven cobblers made without female supervision.
Rough big boy games. Gabe can’t wait until he gets big enough. He and the other little guys satisfied them selves with a very smokey marshmallow burning party.

Right after our Grand Canyon charter trip this year Tour West asked me if I would lead a trip in Cataract Canyon. Louisa and Steve B were on the crew as well as our old friend Andy Weenig. It was four nights on the river and a lot of fun. The passengers were just great. We are thinking about putting togther a five to six night trip for sometime next summer with an emphisis on hiking. Contact me if this sounds interesting. Our last charter in Cat was a lot of fun. Here is a photo by passenger Peter Parker. Don’t ask me why the groover can is in the foreground.
The crew.
The people.
The place.
The hikes

Tuesday the boyos from Birch Creek Service Ranch came over with their counselors Sarah Vranes and Porter England and helped Lee and me to landscape around her new studio and clean up the construction mess. They are amazing. We had a great time and they really made a difference. Birch Creek is a program for regular non delinquent bays and girls to build character through service and outdoor activities. If you have young people in your life consider sending them there. It is a top shelf outfit.
After all that work Lee and I decided to go for a hike in Canal canyon to chill out by a mountain stream. The doggie boy agreed and went with us. Pottery making can wait another day.

I bought this car in 1977. Built in 1952 by GMC it had been an army ambulance during the Korean Conflict and then a school bus for Nebo School District in Nephi, Utah. When I drove it over to my parent’s home my dad asked “Where did you get that hippie car? After that it was always known as The Hippie. I drove the Hippie all over the west hauling pot s to craft fairs and camping. It was a fine ride. Six cylinders with three speed shifter on the column. Sometime in the nineties she fell into disuse and has sat around since then becoming home to stray cats and wasps. Lee has convinced me to let her go to someone who will restore her the way she deserves. I guess I’ll have to start looking for a good home for the old hippie car.

After laying up the last of the stone Arlin and I went to Ephraim to get the pots I fired in Ed’s little train kiln. It was an order of mortar and pestle sets for the School of Natural Healing. I used Ed’s kiln because I will not be firing my much larger kiln until early September. Ed’s is wood fired and will give results similar to mine…I hoped. The 24 or so pots turned out nicely and the client was happy.
Arlin and I then grabbed some lunch and went hiking up Canal Canyon again. We had a great time gong up Middle Mountain and over to Elleck’s Flat (sorry Mike) by way of the Bucket Trail. Arlin had hoped we would see wild turkeys and we were not disappointed. Arlin found a wing feather and left it in a spruce tree.